[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 4 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 4

Expressing support for temporary protected status for Haitian nationals 
    currently residing in the United States, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2017

 Mr. Hastings submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
  referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing support for temporary protected status for Haitian nationals 
    currently residing in the United States, and for other purposes.

Whereas in October of 2016, Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti killing over 
        1,000 people, directly affected 2.1 million people including the 
        internal displacement of 175,000 and 1.4 million people in need of 
        urgent humanitarian aid;
Whereas the storm damage has been estimated to be $1,000,000,000, or about 11.4 
        percent of the gross domestic product of Haiti;
Whereas Hurricane Matthew was the worst hurricane to hit Haiti in over 50 years;
Whereas the Department of State warns United States citizens that current 
        conditions make it unsafe to travel to southern Haiti due to the 
        devastation wrought by Hurricane Matthew including roads made impassable 
        by landslides, damaged roads, bridge failures and widespread damage to 
        buildings and critical infrastructure;
Whereas the total value of crop losses is estimated to be $360 million;
Whereas approximately 45 percent of Haiti's southwest piped water supply was 
        damaged by Hurricane Matthew;
Whereas Haiti continues to struggle to address the devastating 2010 Cholera 
        outbreak that has killed over 9,000 Haitians and infected almost 800,000 
        Haitians;
Whereas these conditions make it dangerous and inappropriate to forcibly 
        repatriate Haitians at this time;
Whereas the Secretary of Homeland Security may grant temporary protective status 
        (TPS) in accordance with section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality 
        Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a) to nationals of a country in which environmental or 
        political events have occurred that make it temporarily unsafe to deport 
        them;
Whereas the Secretary of Homeland Security has granted TPS to nationals of other 
        countries under similar conditions, including Nicaragua and Honduras in 
        1999 following Hurricane Mitch, and El Salvador in 2001 following severe 
        earthquakes; and
Whereas granting Haitian nationals TPS would preserve the estimated 
        $1,000,000,000 in remittances sent each year to Haiti from Haitians in 
        the United States, which currently outweigh the amount of foreign 
        assistance given by the United States to Haiti and are crucial to the 
        recovery of Haiti: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) supports the granting of temporary protected status to 
        Haitian nationals currently residing in the United States;
            (2) supports the Haitian people and the Government of Haiti 
        as they work to rebuild from years of natural disasters, 
        economic hardship, and political turmoil; and
            (3) acknowledges that it is in the best economic and 
        security interests of the United States for Haiti to be a safe, 
        stable, and productive country.
                                 <all>